assessment
noun
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History of Assessment
Assessment has two meanings (“an amount that a person is officially required to pay” and “the act of making a judgment about something”) so distinct that one might rightfully wonder if they come from different sources. They do not.
Both are derived from related senses of assess, a verb that for over 500 years has meant “to determine the rate or amount of (a tax).” The monetary sense of assessment is tied to this oldest use of assess. By the 19th century, the verb’s object shifted slightly to produce a new meaning, “to make an official valuation of (property) for the purposes of taxation.” It was but a short step from here to the broadened sense “to make a judgment about” that is the basis of assessment “the act of making a judgment.”
Examples of assessment in a Sentence
Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
The properties are often in foreclosure over unpaid condo assessments or fees.
—Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
There are currently more than 400,000 Russians facing about 250,000 Ukrainians on the front line, and the gap between the armies is growing, according to the military analyst familiar with Western assessments.
—Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The baseline promise of each mask is to boost moisture and reduce breakage by taking a personalized approach—simply fill out the hair assessment on the brand’s website to determine your needs.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for assessment 
Dictionary Entries Near assessment
Cite this Entry
“Assessment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assessment. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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assessment
noun
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